Former environment minister Peter Garrett has taken responsibility for the Rudd government's failed home insulation program, which was linked to four deaths and more than 200 house fires.

Mr Garret was called on Tuesday to give evidence at the royal commission investigating the actions of the Rudd government in the planning and rollout of the $2.8 billion Home Insulation Program.

"I was responsible for the rollout of HIP and bore ultimate responsibility for its implementation," Mr Garrett said in his witness statement to the commission.

However, Mr Garrett fingered his department as well as then-prime minister Kevin Rudd, saying his attempts to introduce better measures under the scheme were quashed just weeks before the first death of an installer.